The main difference is that resurfacing/ rehabilitation is a structural repair that will extend the useful life of your asphalt surface. It entails the patching (if necessary) and resurfacing of the entire surface with a new overlay of 1 ½” to 3″ of hot bituminous asphalt. Sealcoating is not a structural repair and may be likened to painting your house. The sealcoat protects and extends the life of your asphalt, but does nothing to correct structural flaws. Sealcoating, accordingly, is substantially less expensive than resurfacing your drive.

Tire scuffmarks are caused when you turn your car’s steering wheel while the car is stationary. If it is a hot day and the asphalt has not completely cured, the surface will get a blemish like grinding your heel into a soft substance. Over time, most of this will become less noticeable.

Asphalt is comprised of roughly 95% varying sized aggregates and 5% black asphalt cement. While the mixes we use are all state approved, the appearance and characteristics of the mixes from any of the asphalt plants will vary. It is natural to expect a variation in the surface texture of the asphalt between loads and in different areas of a paved surface.

A critical aspect of producing a long lasting job is the achievement of the proper compaction of your surface. 90% compaction is ideal. Sometimes the rollers leave ‘streaks’ or marks on the drive. These are temporary and will become less noticeable over several months.

The edges or ‘shoulders’ of your drive are one of the most vulnerable areas of the drive. If you put a lot of weight on the edge (say by driving your car or lawn mower right to the edge), there is the possibility that the edge will crack or break off if it is not properly supported. We try to help the situation by creating a ‘beveled edge’ on the side of the drive with a 45° angle to defuse the pressure. You can help by installing seeded topsoil against the finished height of the asphalt once the job is completed.

Asphalt is a petroleum based product and oils, gasoline and brake fluids act like a solvent, causing the surface to soften and become more susceptible to damage. Please use extreme caution when filling lawnmowers or gas tanks on the driveway.

Properly compacted asphalt has 10% air voids in it. If a seed of grass gets into the mix and germinates – viola! – We have grass. The best thing to do is spray the area with ‘Round Up’ to kill the grass.

This is one of the trickiest questions we get. And the answer is ‘it depends’! Once we patch part of your drive, it will be a black area in the midst of your existing graying surface. If your driveway has been sealcoated previously, the new asphalt will also have a more porous texture. This does not bother some people, as they know that they are protecting the investment that they have in their driveway. Others see it as an eyesore and have the whole driveway resurfaced or sealcoated after the patching is completed.

In order for driveway to fully harden the Asphalt Cement needs to cure. This typically takes about a year. During the first year your new driveway may be come soft or tender on very warm days. This is normal. Care should be used on these days. For example don’t turn the steering wheel of a car without the car moving, also be aware that a jack stand, or even a bicycle kickstand could make an impression.

Most driveways are paved by a paving machine. However due to the size of the paving machine certain areas such as in front of garages, walkways or along walls are spread and raked by hand. These areas may have a slightly different texture as a result of hand tools. This is normal and as the driveway ages, these areas will become less noticeable.

Binder (also known as basecoat) and Topcoat are types of asphalt paving material, made from hot asphalt cement and aggregate. Depending on the specified use the percentages and sizes of aggregate vary. Typically a “Binder” Course also known as the load bearing coarse contains mostly 3/4” aggregate (The stone in the asphalt is larger), and is applied first at a thickness, depending on the application. “Finish” or “Top” coat contains mainly 3/8” Aggregate (the smooth topcoat that you see on most asphalt surfaces) for a smoother finish and is applied over the binder; its thickness is engineered, dependent on job specs.